Squigs releases awesome new 1.1 version

If you can’t get enough of Squigs, the addictive, three-in-a-row retro style puzzle game, then you’re in luck. This past week Squigs released version 1.1, adding even more great features.

This latest version of Squigs adds both hard and easy level options as well as updated About and Help menu tabs, updated icons and more. The awesome, fun-for-all-ages puzzle game also features the high-definition controls and enhanced sound added for the first time in this year’s iOS release.

Originally released for the Amiga Computer in 1993, Squigs challenges you to rearrange the falling characters to match and eliminate vertical, horizontal and diagonal groups. By continuing through multiple levels, you’ll uncover all nine Squigs.

Job Hibbins, the man behind the original game as well as the modern development team said, “The new version of Squigs fuses proven, addictive gameplay with exciting modern concepts… a perfect fit for Apple iOS devices, and a satisfying experience for Squigs veterans and new players alike.”

To download the newest game, visit the iTunes store today. To read the entire release, go here.  Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the most up-to-date Squigs news.

Squigs: Gaming that is retro AND cutting-edge…

You may have encountered Squigs for the very first time as an iPhone or iPad app, but like all great retro games, it has had a long and interesting history. Long before Jon (Hibbins) developed the iOS version which was released on the App Store on 7 November this year, he created the first version of Squigs for the Commodore Amiga microcomputer.

The game was first released on a cover disk for Amiga Power Magazine back in September 1993. For the Amiga 500 (A500). Though by that time Commodore had already launched the Amiga A4000/030 – a hugely impressive home computer of its time and seemingly light years ahead of its A500, A2000 and A3000 predecessors. But just how advanced was this powerful desktop system compared to the throwaway smartphones of today? Squigs iOS game was originally designed for Amiga 500

We thought it might be fun to compare a few facts and figures to see how a trusty 1993 Amiga would stand up in 2011.

Processors:
Amiga A500: Motorola 68000 microprocessor running at 7.15909 MHz (NTSC) or 7.09379 MHz (PAL), 32-bit
iPhone 4S: Dual-core Apple running at 800MHz

RAM:
Amiga A500: 512 kB of Chip RAM upgradable to 1024 kb
iPhone 4S: 512MB

Storage:
Amiga: 880 kB standard Amiga disks
iPhone 4S: Up to 64GB HDD and no removable media

Graphics:
Amiga A500: PAL mode: 320 × 256, 640 × 256, 640 × 512 (interlace), 704 × 576 in overscan.
NTSC mode: 320 × 200, 640 × 200, 640 × 400 (interlace), 704 × 484 in overscan. from a palette of 4096 colours.
iPhone 4S: 3.5” retina display with 940×640 pixel resolution at 326ppi, SGX 543MP2 dedicated GPU producing 30fps HD video

Operating system
Amiga: AmigaOS 1.2+
iPhone 4S: iOS5

Connectivity:
Amiga A500: Two DB9M sockets for joysticks or mice (as popularized by the Atari 2600),A parallel port (DB25F).Analogue RGB 50 Hz PAL and 60 Hz NTSC video output,A floppy drive port (DB23F) and Stereo audio
iPhone 4S: WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, Stereo Audio, Video Output, GPS…

Dimensions:
Amiga: 390mm(L) x175mm(W) x360mm(H)
iPhone 4S: 4.5 x 2.31 x 0.37”

’18 years after its first release’: 148Apps reviews Squigs

We’re excited to announce that the first review for Squigs has come in. With a nod to past gaming greats on home platforms such as the Amiga, as well as an appreciation for recent surge of retro games being converted to iOS, Jennifer Allen at 148Apps has crafted a great review of Squigs. 148Apps reviews Squigs

“It’s nice to see games from that era being converted to iOS, even more so when it’s done by the original developer,” Jennifer said. She also goes on to describe Squigs as, “entertaining stuff that’s bound to be rather addictive.”

To see the entire review, go here. To give your personal opinion on the game, leave comments here, tweet at us (@SquigsGame), or comment on our Facebook page.

Squigs! is back!

Welcome to the Squigs blog. Here, my team and I will be giving you a first hand look into what’s going into the development of the game. We’ll also be sharing our thoughts on the games industry, giving our reactions to news, and answering any questions you might have. To kick off, I want to give a quick background on the history of Squigs and why we’re bringing it back on iOS (to start), via the App Store.

I’ve been developing games my whole life. I’ve worked on dozens of games in one capacity or another, spending many a happy hour to create entertaining and engaging player experiences. When I was 16 years old, I created Squigs for the Amiga computer system. Before that point I hadn’t had any commercial success – most of the work I had done had been enjoyed by players, but it hadn’t exactly been lucrative.

After I developed Squigs, I received a letter from Amiga Power, a magazine devoted to all things about the system, saying they would like to publish my game. I was thrilled – from my perspective I’d made it big time! All I had to do was resize the game for easy distribution – around 363 kilobytes. 

Today we’re carrying around laptops with over 100 gigabytes of storage space, and playing games that require 10GB plus installs. My first game was 363 kilobytes. It’s startling how far we’ve come.

Needless to say, I resized the game, received coverage in Amiga Power and realized my dream of having a game distributed to a wide audience of passionate gamers. It proved to me that I had what it took to be a developer.

Over the years, I’d run into people time and time again that had enjoyed the game. It may not have made me a millionaire, but when I hear people like the game, it gives me a sense of great personal satisfaction. It’s the best feeling in the world to know you’ve created something people love.

And that’s why we’re bringing Squigs into the 21st century. iOS is such a perfect platform, with so many users, that the opportunity to bring this unique puzzle experience couldn’t be passed up. I’m looking forward to sharing the game with you, and my thoughts about game development through this blog, as we move closer to release.

As you can probably tell, we’re excited about Squigs, and hope you’ll be just as excited when you play it. It’s out next week, so keep your eye on the App Store.